"The fire burned through the springs with varying levels of severity," Velez said. "Approximately five burned trees that pose the most imminent danger of falling and further damaging the springs and the rock work constructed around them were felled."

The area remains closed to the public for the foreseeable future. The fire is currently 11,082 acres and 75 percent contained.

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The fire ignited on Aug. 19 on the trail leading to the hot springs, nearly trapping 20 people who were visiting.

Robert Noble and his 10-year-old son Parker sprinted out of the forest and through a wall of flames that had begun to engulf the trail around 3 p.m. on Sunday.

"We were just soaking and having a great time, when all of a sudden somebody came running up the trail and said, 'Hey, there's a fire and you need to evacuate,'" said Robert Noble, who lives in Springfield.

"We just started running," he said. "The fire had just started to cross the path when we got there. We put our towels over our noses and mouths and ran through the flames that were four to six feet tall."

The fire grew quickly in the bone-dry conditions, engulfing both sides of Cougar Reservoir. It eventually became a long-term event as it spread into the nearby Three Sisters Wilderness.

Once the fire is fully contained, a specialized fire team will go in to assess the damage and consider what types of repairs to make.

In the meantime, a large area on the south end of Cougar Reservoir remains closed.